Israel Railways threatens lawsuit against developer of free train schedule app
Israel Railways has issued a pre-lawsuit warning to the developer of the "Better Rail" app, demanding its removal from app stores over alleged "unauthorized commercial use." Developer Guy Teper denies the claims, asserting that the project is non-profit and relies on public information. He has stated that he will not comply with the demand to remove the app, which provides real-time train updates to passengers.
The Better Rail app is a free service designed for quick and convenient access to Israel Railways schedules. The open-source project contains no advertisements and aims to make railway services more accessible to the public. It currently holds a 4.6 rating on the Android app store.
On Tuesday, Guy Teper (30), the app's developer and designer, announced on X that Israel Railways had sent him a pre-lawsuit warning letter.
"I have been developing websites and apps for over 10 years, and I love creating tools that are convenient and enjoyable to use," Teper said. "About five years ago, during the pandemic, I set myself a challenge: to build the most convenient train app ever. I observed passengers at stations to understand how to help those in a rush get the information they need as quickly and clearly as possible. That is how Better Rail was born."
Teper added: "I decided that Better Rail would be free and non-profit to prioritize passenger interests. The code is open-source, and a community of volunteers has formed around the project. Better Rail provides fast access to schedules and real-time updates, similar to Waze for trains, with direct integration into iPhone and Android operating systems."
In a letter sent to Teper on August 9, 2026, by Adv. Dror Ziv Rotenberg on behalf of Israel Railways, the company claims that Better Rail makes unauthorized commercial use of its data and violates terms of service. The railway asserts that schedule data is its proprietary asset and prohibits its use without prior written permission.
The railway claims that unlike authorized navigation apps like Moovit, which receive data through the Ministry of Transport, Better Rail extracted data directly from the railway's APIs using unauthorized access keys, which they argue constitutes a breach of the Computer Law. The company further claims that the app's activity caused infrastructure strain and repeated crashes of their official search engine, resulting in damages estimated at hundreds of thousands of shekels.
Teper noted that two months ago, he received an inquiry from the Israel Railways technology division requesting a switch to Ministry of Transport data. The developers complied, but discovered significant gaps and inaccuracies in the ministry's data compared to the railway's official schedules. Attempts to resolve the issue with the relevant authorities were unsuccessful.
"Our first reaction was panic," Teper admitted. "However, after consulting with Adv. Guy Zomer, who is assisting us voluntarily, it became clear that the accusations have no legal basis. We have decided not to yield to the railway's demands and will continue to make train times accessible to the public." In their formal response, Better Rail emphasized that the schedule of a government-funded company is public information, and that total user donations over five years have amounted to only about 2,000 shekels, failing to cover development costs.
Better Rail has released a new version based on Ministry of Transport data. However, the developers warn that inaccuracies may occur regarding train cancellations or platform changes and are asking the public to report any discrepancies.
